Heavy In Your Arms
by hearthecall09
Summary: His bite gave her new life but she ran from him anyway. His mark scorched her shoulder, reminding her that she was his. Six years later Alex returns to Beacon Hills, needing Derek. Their bond is strong but will they finally accept their fate? Her heart is heavy with need for his body next to hers. His arms ache for her soft body melded to his. DerekOC
1. Chapter 1

"_I was a heavy heart to carry, my beloved was weighed down._

_My arms around his neck, my fingers laced a crown_

_I was a heavy heart to carry, but he never let me down._

_When he held me in his arms, my feet never touched the ground._

_I'm so heavy, heavy in your arms."_

_Heavy in Your Arms- Florence & The Machine_

An Alpha once told me that my life would've inspired Poe. His writing hand would've itched insistently, begging for the tales of my bloodlust and sin. Too long I had wandered aimlessly as a hound from hell; my eyes growing darker with each drop of blood I spilled. My response to him was to rip his throat out.

Six years I have served my sentence as a nightly beast. Six years I've run away from everything that used to remind me of home. Six years of relentless solitude and I was finally done. Washing his blood from my hands; I set his pack free and ran from that responsibility. I believed in the philosophy that if I ran far enough, then my troubles would fall behind. Perhaps they would live, perhaps they would die but that wasn't my problem now. My problem lay with the dull ache in my chest.

Home was calling. HE was calling. Our bond was constricting my lungs, squeezing the very air from my body. The distance didn't shorten the pain, it just made it harder for me to make my way back to him. It was his mark on my shoulder, his branding of my animalistic soul and I wanted to hate him for it. Saving me had been his only motivation, loving him had been mine.

The motorbike stood naked and alone, it's rider abandoning the death machine for a different view. Her figure stood prominently confident upon the edge of the cliff overlooking Beacon Hills. She had remembered a time when her world had seemed so big, so curious and unrelenting with her dreams. This town was too small now, too shadowed and dying.

Day and night she had ridden, pushing herself closer to her only nightmare and true fantasy. Listening to her chest at every mile, she found it's beat growing stronger. It's sympathy calling to his melody and Alex prayed to God that he would let her hold on to that heaven.

Her breath came out in short bursts, tiny puffs of smoke leaving a trail behind. She tried clenching her fists tighter, holding onto those memories harder; she needed him, needed him like she needed to breathe. Did he still smile? And when he did, did his blue eyes sparkle like they used to? Would he welcome her back in his arms? Or would he exile her?

Taking one more birds eye look at her old home, Alex headed back to her bike. There really was only one way to find out and that was to go home. Go back to the one place that wanted to end her life and back to the one person that had wanted to give her a new one.

Rain began to fall, pelting her helmet as she sped towards the quiet town. Trails intermixed with the unmistakable wet dog smell, leading her forward. Tilting her head up she tried to sniff out any familiar scents; the weather was making it difficult for her to pinpoint anything specific. Revving her bike, she spun dangerously through the mountain roads. The chance that she had missed Derek, had her heart on the verge of screaming.

Growling to herself, Alex realized she hadn't exactly thought her plans through. What if she did find Derek? What made her think he wanted anything to do with her now? Sure, her heart had been on the edge of breaking for six years now, but that didn't mean that he had felt the same way. Parking haphazardly in front of the only motel in town, she shoved herself off her bike and stalked to the front door. God, what if he had met someone else? It would take all the restraint in the world to stop her from killing something if that was the case.

The chiming of the bell signaled to the old man behind the desk. Sucking in a sharp breath, Alex attempted to adjust her eyes to the artificial light. "Need a room?"

How anyone survived on this planet asking stupid questions was beyond her, "Obviously."

Two minutes and a signature later, the key to room 25 was tossed her way. Her belongings were kept in one backpack, making it easier for her to travel from place to place. It was just another object in life that reminded her of the lonely lifestyle she had been living.

Throwing herself upon the old mattress, she finally let herself relax. The tired bedsprings melded to her body creating a perfect cradle to sleep within. If she concentrated hard enough, she could get her enhanced senses to ignore the lingering scents of mildew and sex.

Tomorrow would prove the challenge. She had gotten herself her; through much inner turmoil of course. The rain would delay, leaving the ground renewed and old tracks would vanish. Tomorrow would be the day of judgment. Tomorrow she would find Derek Hale.


	2. Chapter 2

Groaning, Alex rose her sleep deprived body out of bed. Glancing at her cell phone on the night table, 2:00 flashed maliciously at her. She had wanted to be up and out of the motel by noon but apparently her beaten body had different plans. Stretching her tight muscles, she listened to the distinctive pop of each joint. The past week had been grueling for her. She had pushed herself, spending very little time sleeping, trying to get to Beacon Hills as soon as she could.

A couple unfamiliar scents outside her door alerted her senses. Growling, she approached her window and peered out to find a few men staring at her bike. Dropping the curtains back in place, she made for the shower. If they touched her bike, there would be hell to pay.

She was out her door by 2:30, already cruising through the streets. Six years she had been gone and not much had changed. It was still the small town where everyone seemed to know everyone. Unfortunately that could create more problems for her than she was ready to deal with. Her family had moved from the area a few years back, didn't mean the residents wouldn't remember their 15 year old daughter who ran away.

Once she reached the grounds of her old high school, she slowed down; 15 years old and she had ran from all of this. Social cliques gathered outside, ready to part ways to their respected classes. She wasn't exactly the most emotional individual anymore but she found herself missing the social prejudices of going to high school. She didn't get to experience the dances, definitely not a senior prom. Dating had been out of the question, especially when she had spent most of her time with Derek.

Clenching her teeth, she grumbled a string of profanities to herself. Had it been so long now that she had forgotten about Kate? Kate had been her demise back then. Alex hadn't been able to stand her, Argent had given her the creeps; even more since she was Derek's girlfriend. There had been something about that woman that Alex hadn't been able to place. When she had finally ran, their relationship had been on the rocks; something that had everything to do with Alex. Smiling to herself, Alex revved her bike and took off again.

The rain had indeed washed away most of the old trails, making it difficult for her to get a lockdown on Derek. Releasing a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, she made the decision to go to Derek's house. She wasn't quite sure how his family would receive her. They hadn't been the biggest fans of his decision to change her but they had cared for her. Laura had been the older sister her own family hadn't been able to gift her with.

The smell of charred wood and decaying remains reached her nose before the house was in her line of sight. She pushed her bike off the main road and took to the woods, expertly weaving through the trees. She finally stopped in front of the skeletal remains of the Hale house.

Ripping her helmet off she ran to the house, pushing through the front door. Black soot covered everything, broken glass decorated the floor. Placing her jacket sleeve over her mouth and nose, she concentrated on keeping her breathing even. She was beginning to panic; had everyone been inside when this happened?

Stifling a quiet sob she turned to leave; a scent to her right caught her attention. It was sweet and fresh, like the woods after a heavy rainfall. Walking through the archway, she headed into what used to be the sitting room. Breathing in deep, she savored the scent, HIS scent. The trail was old but it was him, he had been here.

* * *

"Dude is it just me or does Derek seem extra grumpy today?" Scott turned to Stiles, his eyebrow raised in question. They were supposed to be chasing Jackson and Derek and Stiles comments on Derek's mood?

"What are you talking about? He's always grumpy."

"Yeah I know that. I tend to be on the receiving end most of the time but he seems more" Stiles gestured wildly with his hands, Grumpy!"

"It's not everyday that you have to chase down a giant lizard!" shouted Scott. They were speedily approaching a chain link fence.

"True. What are we going to do now?" The gentle sway of his jeeps' door answered his question. Jumping the fence, Scott took off around the corner Derek disappeared to.

* * *

She was being selfish. She should've been running through town trying to find any member of the Hale family, but she still sat inside the burned out home. Still sat upon the makeshift bed set up in the sitting room; the bed that distinctively smelled like her Derek. Lying down upon the padded bedroll, she curled up within the cool sheets. Clutching the old fabric between her closed fists, she brought it to her chest clenching it for dear life. The cool sheets should've been warm, should've been cradling his heated body next to hers. His arms should be around her now, holding her together, whispering their song in her ear.

Hours passed. Night had fallen, casting broken shadows about room. It had taken all of her energy to try and keep her eyes open, but exhaustion had won. Alex rose from the crinkled sheets, grabbed her jacket and left the room. Mounting her bike outside, she peeled out of the driveway, heading back into town. She had questions that needed answers. Spinning around, she sped towards the convenience store she had spotted back a few miles; her growling stomach certainly agreed with her decision.

The store was pretty empty save for a few cars gassing up. Alex immediately made her way to the sweets aisle; she had a soft spot for sour gummy worms. The front register was manned by a acne scared teenager, who was paying way too much attention to her breasts.

"Is this all for you today?" Alex raised her eyebrows at the double meaning behind his words.

"Of course it is." Snatching her gummy worms from his sweaty palm, she stalked towards the exit. Unfortunately she paused, her hand on the door, her freedom so close but she needed to ask him a few questions. Turning around, she smiled and swayed up to the counter one more time.

"Can I ask you a question? Do you know what happened to the Hale house?" The young mans' smile faltered. His hand that had been smoothing his greasy hair back, stalled, puzzled by her question. He had obviously been hoping for something different.

"Yeah it like burned down six years ago."

"Yes I know that, but where did the Hale family?" His eyes squinted at her, his head tilted to the side. His incredulous stare uprooted her calm demeanor.

"Most of the family perished. Only Laura and Derek Hale survived." She was out the door before he had finished his sentence. Her lungs refused to draw in air, her breathing coming out in short gasps. She had never felt pain like this before. Her eyes burned with the effect it took not to cry but her heart soared in the realization that Laura and Derek were alive.

A deep howl reverberated through the streets, snapping Alex back to reality. The parking lot paused in it's own commotion, staring across the street. Alex ran back to her bike and hopped on. Revving her bike, she sped towards the one noise she had been dreaming about hearing for six years.


	3. Chapter 3

What he was to her, was the very air she breathed. She wasn't supposed to want to throw herself at him, to entangle her limbs with his with zero separation between their bodies. She wasn't supposed to need him. She should've been able to move on with her life, find someone else because she would never be good enough for him.

Self doubt was a disease. An infectious infestation that devolved into the mind looking for human weakness. She already knew her weakness because she had been trying to hide it for so long. It wouldn't matter if he didn't want her in his life anymore, if it came down to it, she would still lay her life down.

She had tried to walk away six years ago. In fact, she had run, run as fast as her new legs could've carried her. She could still remember the feel of her bloody feet against the forest floor, ripping and then healing over and over again. She could feel the break of her heart every time she thought of his lips kissing hers, his mouth whispering in her ear, his arms rubbing hers.

She squealed her brakes, skidding her bike. Ripping her helmet from her head she threw it to the street, listening to the quiet thud as she ran towards her heart. Dark alleyways gave way to her speed, seeming to open to her sheer will. Pushing past her frustration, she scaled the brick building, taking to the rooftops.

Her boots were quiet, barely kissing the asphalt roofs as she leapt from building to building. Her last apartment stalled her movements. Crouching near the edge, she looked over it's lip looking down into a crowded parking lot.

"Jungle?" Smirking, she watched the men line up for a chance to enter the one and only gay club in town. "Beacon Hills is growing with the times, I see."

A slight shuffle to her right, alerted her senses to a couple newcomers. A couple boys pressed tight against the side of the building, watched the waiting line intently. She had just meant to laugh at their stupidity but when she sucked in air, she had sucked in the distinct scent of wolf. Stifling her laughter, she gave complete attention to the two troublemakers.

Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have been able to tell which boy was different unless she was right next to him to smell. Fortunately, the rather loud and flamboyant talker was too spazy to be a wolf. That left the dark haired boy, tall and athletically fit. His attention was still drawn to the waiting line, searching for something.

The night suddenly became quieter. The small shift in the air went unnoticed by the humans but her senses were in overdrive. Something dark was disturbing the balance, upsetting her sensitive nostrils. A strange scent floated amongst the night breeze, smelling of nothing but anticipating of something sinister. Her eyes focused intently on the club before her. The humans were completely oblivious to the horror that waited in the wings; its' thick tail disappearing to hide amongst the rafters.

"What the hell was that?" Alex leapt from the roof, shrouding herself amongst the shadows as she crept across the street. The spot previously occupied by the two boys was left abandoned. Cursing to herself, she left in search of the back entrance. She'd feel guilty if anything happened to those two idiots and she hadn't tried to help them.

The handle was missing, ripped from it's original placement on the metal door. "Amateurs." Sighing, she slide through the door, closing it quietly behind her.

The heavy beat of tech music assaulted her eardrums, thumping through her limbs. The presence of her female presence, though not uncommon, made her an easy target for whatever was in there. Weaving her tight body through the crowd, she kept an eye out for the kids. Hands grabbed at her jacket and waist inviting her to dance among the grinding orgy.

Her eyes never strayed from the boys, both of them gesturing vigorously towards the dance floor. Maybe she had been wrong to think that they had been after the creature. Maybe they really were two very confused boys, embarrassed of their obsession with the same sex.

They suddenly separated, both heading towards a different destination. The human boy making a rather clumsy path towards another male; maybe he was the gay one? The other held her attention more, his eyes weren't straying from the rafters. So, they were after the creature.

It crawled across the ceiling like a snake wound around trees; slow, each move deliberately calculated. His dark reptilian skin blended well with the blacked out ceiling making his presence completely unknown to the clubbers. It's arms strained pulling itself along, heading farther away from her. She watched it's movements as she swayed with the crowd. It had a target in mind, not even bothering with the humans around her. Narrowing her eyes, she strayed away from the crowd, searching for the object of his attention.

Heavy rainfall met pine trees, Alex froze. He was here, here in the club, probably within feet of her. Her head on a swivel, she locked eyes with every male in the club, waiting for the assault of his blue ones.

A heartbeat sped up dramatically, faster than the sex driven ones on the dance floor. Her attention was immediately drawn towards the human boy still trying to work his way through the crowded dance floor, his face a perfect mask of fear. Abandoning the idea of Derek for a minute, she rushed towards the frightened boy.

Time had a way of feeling like it was slowing down when you needed to get somewhere fast. The bodies were pressed even tighter on this side of the dance floor, her small frame had a hard time squeezing through. Her hands pushed hard on the naked torsos, breaking an narrow path towards the boy. Running forward, she grabbed his arm yanking him back a foot. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Woah, what the hell? Let go of me!" The boy yanked vigorously on his jacket sleeve trying to free himself. Realizing his attempts were futile, he turned around meeting the dark eyes of Alex. His eyes froze upon her face, already knowing how she could possess such strength.

Alex yanked him towards her, realizing she may have to drag him off the dance floor for his own safety. "Do you not realize what's following you?"

"It's not after me!" The boy fought harder against her grip. Turning around, she watched as he pointed towards a different boy still dancing. "It's after my friend!"

Pulling him back, she threw him to the floor behind her. Pushing back through the crowd, she shoved past the naked bodies yet again. The fog made it harder for the humans to realize what was happening around them. Her red eyes sparked, searching the crowd for the young boy.

Screams erupted around her, knocking her senses off for a split second. Shaking her head, she pressed her hands tight against her ears, trying to cancel out all the screams. Deep thuds of heavy bodies collapsing to the floor brought her attention to the left side of the dance floor. Several bodies lay completely still on the floor, their heartbeats slow but still evident. Growling, Alex looked down upon the quiet body of the young man she had been looking for. The creature apparently achieving it's goal for the night.

A deep howl resounding through the building, scaring the occupants even more. The bodies all rushed forward at once, trying to shove through the only emergency exit on the floor. Alex stood her ground, her body solid amongst the jostling crowd. Her eyes strained, trying to locate the owner of the howl. Yanking her head towards the ceiling, she sniffed the air trying to narrow down his scent. The smell of fresh woods was absent from the heavy collection of cologne.

Her scent was everywhere, intoxicating every move of his muscles. Running across her vanilla smell by the high school had jolted his memories. He had convinced himself that he was just missing her again, just remembering her smell by familiar places they used to frequent.

* * *

She had run away so abruptly six years ago, taking his heart with her. He would've loved to say that he hated her for what she did, but he couldn't. He couldn't throw away the memory of their first kiss, the very action that had sent her running. He couldn't erase those dark brown eyes when they smiled at him or the smirk on her lips every time her sarcasm insulted him. He wouldn't have erased the hours he had watched her dance; twisting and throwing herself through the air, letting go of everything wrong in her life.

His life had meant very little before he met her. Everything revolved around making her smile and laugh. He had given every chance he could have to touch her. He had done so much more for her than he had done for Kate, and that had scared him. Kissing him had given her that emotion, that emotion of guilt for falling in love with a fifteen year old girl. She had mistaken the emotion, thinking he had remorse for his decision. She had run away to save her heart only to break his.

She was back, he could feel it in every cell of his body because they were calling out to her. The pain of their bond was growing, tightening with every step they made away from each other.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I would love to thank all the fans of my story, all the people that have reviewed and are following! This chapter is dedicated to you guys because this is where Alex and Derek finally meet. And I am definitely glad to hear that you guys are enjoying a story that doesn't involve a high school love interest for Derek ****J So without further ado….**

* * *

In all honesty, Alex really wanted to head back to her hotel room with a bottle of tequila. As deceiving as the bottle looked, the clear liquid held a burning pain that she craved. It would be a welcomed distraction for her; giving her the time to drift away. Wallowing in the pain of heartache was at times pathetic and at others, she needed it. The deep throb of a breaking heart was painful, but it was emotion; a human trait that she had long ago tried to abandon.

Her feet managed to carry her back to her abandoned bike, seemingly able to avoid the majority of the human crowd. Her arms were so close to turning her around, heading towards the liquor store that sounded so good. She had been close to convincing herself that heading back to her motel room was a great idea. Fate had other plans; particularly in the form of a crappy jeep.

Sitting upon her bike, she watched as the jeep carelessly drove away from the chaos. The scents from the two idiots earlier assaulted her nostrils; a third contributor was now confusing her senses. It certainly was human but it housed an underlining scent that she couldn't place.

She tossed her head back and took a deep breath. This was where she could say screw it and head back to her bed or she could follow the jeep. Perhaps seconds ticked by faster for those who didn't know what their decision would be but she had already made her decision. She had made it the instant she had gone into the club to protect the two of them.

Swerving her bike around she raced through the back alleys, rushing to get ahead of the vehicle. Dodging empty trash bins, she kept her eye on the passing streets. Litters of spoiled newspaper passed beneath her wheels, spewing back onto the deserted pavement. The night air flew through her leather jacket, chilling her heated skin.

The boys were leaving the hub of town, opting to take the main road through the lush forest. Needing to get ahead of them, she pushed her bike to take the dirt access road just beyond the lip of the woods. Pine trees fly by, seeming to move of their own accord, getting out of the way of the speeding demon. Turning her head to the left, she watched as the jeep continued to fall behind. Praying her plan wouldn't go to shit, she shot through the edge of the woods, skidding her bike to a complete stop in the middle of the street.

* * *

Stiles' grip on the steering wheel tightened with each passing mile. He could admit that getting into trouble was kind of a specialty for him. Well, him and Scott, but it seemed each earth rotation brought along a new enemy.

Derek was already a little too much to handle. The guy was straddling the line of good vs. evil quite frequently. Stiles rubbed his forehead, briefly remembering the time it had become intimate with his own car courtesy of said werewolf. "I still say we just kill him."

"No we're not killing him!"

"Ok!" Stiles sighed, mumbling a few choose curse words. Scott and his self righteous ways, admirable most of the time, was currently a pain in his ass. "I've got a plan."

"Is it illegal?"

Stiles shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Rotating his head rather violently towards his friend, he greeted him with raised eyebrows. "Don't you think that's a given by now?"

Scott threw up his hands, clearly frustrated. "I'm just trying to be optimistic."

"Don't bother. Whoa!" Movement from side of the road startled Stiles. A motorbike appeared from nowhere, clearing the low hanging tree line. Skidding it's tires, it came to a complete stop in the path of his jeep. Swerving his steering wheel, he slammed his foot upon the brake, drifting his car to the opposite lane.

Smoke billowed from beneath his tires, screaming in protest of the abrupt stop. Jackson moaned from the back, seemingly still unconscious but now stuck between the floor and the bucket seats.

"Oh dude, what the hell?" Scott unceremoniously pulled himself up from the floor, his legs slightly cramped from the tight squeeze he had managed to slide into. Stiles still sat unharmed in the drivers seat, but rubbing his forehead vigorously from apparently hitting his steering wheel.

"Some bike tried to kill us!"

"What?" Scott focused his eyes to the road in front of them. He hadn't noticed any bike. In fact, he had been paying so much attention to the Jackson situation that he hadn't been listening to his wolf senses.

Straining his eyes, he looked past the smoke, searching the road. Straddling the yellow line, stood a motorbike. It's slick black body easily hiding against the dark cover of night. Sucking in a deep breath, Scott focused on the empty drivers seat. Where was the rider?

"Hey." Slipping out a girlish shriek, Stiles slammed his body back into Scott. The scream sent the woman stumbling back from the jeep door, covering her ears with her hands. "Oh my god, you scream like a girl!"

Stiles' lips slammed shut in protest of the girls' insult. Both boys, still huddled against the opposite door, stared open mouthed upon the woman staring back at them. Stiles tilted his head to the side, taking in the leather jacket and short black hair. "Oh you're the chick that manhandled me at the club!"

The woman huffed impatiently. "Don't you have to be a man first for that to work."

Stiles yet again was silenced by the woman, his mouth open like a fish gasping for air. Shaking his head for a second, he shoved Scotts arms to the side and straightened his back. "Touche."

Scott kept an intimidating glare in her direction. He could care less it was female, all he could smell was wolf. Her confident stance beside the jeep embodied power; her small frame hid it well. "What do you want?"

The woman met his glare with a satisfied smirk, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Oh yeah? Is that why you ran us off the road?" Stiles raised an eyebrow and glanced back at Scott, his stare was still fixated on the female werewolf. Fumbling with his seatbelt, he fought the thick thread trying to free himself from it's constraint.

"You ran yourself off the road." She was calm, sickly calm, and it confused Scott to no end. Her whole demeanor gave truth to her declaration, but he knew better. Every werewolfs' body stayed coiled for action, their muscles tight and languid beneath their skin. Her height definitely gave her an advantage. She barely breached the five foot mark, giving her the appearance of someone fragile. Her eyes startled him the most; such a deep brown they were almost black.

The closing of the jeep door shook Scott from his distracting observations. Stiles was now standing outside with the unknown werewolf stranger. "Stiles!"

Scott jumped from the jeep, striding over to stand in front of his friend. Blocking his best friend from prying eyes, the strange woman smirked at him again. "Scotts the name right?"

He nodded his head automatically, accessing for any movement she might make to attack him. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm trying to help you."

"Help us with what?"

"Oh I don't know….how bout the unconscious teenage boy in the back of your jeep that just happens to turn into a giant ass reptile."

Stiles slammed his body up against the side of his jeep, his arms flailing desperately to open the doors. "Oh dude I totally forgot about Jackson!"

Both Scott and the mystery woman watched Stiles struggle with the dead weight of the teenage boy. He moved each of his limbs carefully hoping to keep the blanket wrapped in place but it proved unsuccessful. His final shove to get him back onto the bench seat exposed Jackson to the world.

"Oh my god!" Stiles jumped back from the jeep pressing his palms deep into his eye sockets. "We need to get this guy some pants!"

* * *

She had tried so hard to keep it in, trying to stay calm and non threatening to the two boys. The horrified look on the human boys face was priceless and she burst out laughing. It didn't resound from her gut but it was real and it was coming from her. Alex hadn't laughed in forever, her mood constantly stuck in neutral to keep her alive.

Stiles and Scott stood back, watching her as she walked away from the jeep still laughing. She had left her bike in the middle of the road, and though she couldn't hear any approaching cars, she couldn't stand the idea of someone accidentally hitting it. Then she'd have to get violent.

Wheeling her bike over to the two boys, she kicked out the stand, setting it in place. "Well besides getting him some pants, what do you plan on doing with him?"

She watched as Scott turned around to look at his friend; who was still vigorously rubbing his eyes. "Why do you want to know?"

Alex sighed heavily, Scott was driving her crazy. For him to assume she was dangerous was smart. She was dangerous, she was an Alpha, completely capable of killing both the boys before they could finish taking a breath. Her current actions, though questionable, had nothing to do with violence. "Do you even know what you are dealing with, with that boy?"

"We're not going to kill him if that's what you're suggesting." Scott approached Alex threateningly. Under normal circumstances she would've kicked his ass to show her dominance over him, but he only seemed to be protecting his friend.

Sighing, Alex ran her hand through her short hair. That bottle of tequila sounded so much more appealing right now. "I'm not saying to kill him, but he's dangerous! You don't have the strength to control him! So, again, what are you going to do?"

"We're going to kidnap him."

"Whoa, what?" Scott spun around violently, staring at Stiles. "We're going to do what?"

"Yeah dude, we'll borrow one of my dad's patrol vehicles…

"You mean steal."

"I mean borrow!" Stiles stared back at the Alex. Her smirk clearly showing how much she was enjoying this. "We can keep him locked up inside for everyone's safety until we figure out what we're going to do."

Turning around, Alex choose to ignore the bickering between the two boys. Grabbing the helmet from the back of her bike she straddled the seat, readying herself for another ride. "Alright boys, stealing and kidnapping it is."

* * *

"Son of a bitch!" Alex cursed again as she tried to wrap the wires tightly together. It seems she had been doing that a lot tonight. Upon reaching the police station, they had found the gate to the parking lot locked. Having to endure the insistent whining of Stiles to not break it down, both Scott and Alex had to jump the fence.

Alex struck the two wires together, still trying to produce the necessary spark. The slight shock to her body, pushed her mouth to smother more profanities from escaping.

"Where'd you learn to hot wire a car?"

Alex stopped for a brief second to stare at Scott. The young werewolf was in the back of the SUV, searching for sweatpants to clothe their naked friend. "Don't judge and don't learn from me either."

The roar of the engine brought Alex's attention to the front of the vehicle again. Sitting herself as low as she could in the front seat to avoid cameras from seeing her face, she pressed down on the gas. "Hold on Scott."

Scott lost his balance in the back, shouting at her as he bounced around on his ass. Driving through the open gate, she slowed the vehicle down to a stop once they were away from the compound. The rapid thud of feet signaled that Stiles was racing to catch up with them.

Alex stepped out of the SUV, sidestepping to avoid Stiles from ramming into her, she handed the keys off to Scott. "Your turn. I'll be following behind you guys."

Scott took the keys from her, throwing them and the sweatpants to Stiles. Stiles stumbled in the attempt to catch them, barely saving himself from slamming his head against the side mirror. Studying the items in his hands, he raised his eyebrows at Scott. "I already saw Jackson naked. You put them on him."

Tossing the pants back to Scott, he caught them to only throw them back. "Dude we all saw him naked! You put them on him."

Stiles glared at the innocent cloth, trying to figure out a way to not see Jackson's junk one more time. Smiling, he went to throw it at Alex.

"Oh hell no, I'm not doing it."

"Damnit!" Stiles stomped his feet, making his way towards the back of the vehicle where Jackson was chained up.

* * *

The sun was rising over the horizon by the time Alex rode back to her motel. The sun glinting off her mirrors caused zero distraction for her, as her mind was somewhere else. Both Scott and Stiles were still in the woods, stuck babysitting the still unconscious Jackson.

Revving her bike, she pushed herself to concentrate on the road ahead of her. Even though she was extremely exhausted, she still felt the incurable need to hit something since she hadn't managed to get her bottle of tequila. She was going to need that after having to listen to those two boys bicker like an old married couple.

Smiling to herself, she could admit to possibly liking them. Sure, they were the real life version of dumb and dumber sometimes but they had heart. A strong, irritating passion to protect those they cared about; an admirable trait she found herself liking in the two of them.

Pulling her bike up to the front of her motel door, she shut it down and stalked to the front door. Her hand hovered above the handle, her body frozen in fear. There was a strange scent emulating from her room; someone was waiting for her. She tried sniffing the air to identify the intruder but they were hiding it well. Their body's unique odor was masked by the unnatural scent of sandalwood.

She took a step back, the energy not indicating a violent individual but the air remained stale. They were conflicted, possibly angry and that meant bad news for Alex. Her energy was pretty spent from her little adventure without the assistance of food.

Sighing, Alex concentrated on her body, extending her claws on both hands. She couldn't prolong it any longer, she knew they could sense her presence outside. She took calculated steps towards the door, keeping her body flat against the wood to avoid a surprise attack. Twisting the handle, she shoved the door open to reveal a male body sitting upon her bed. "Hey."

"Derek."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all the reviews guys! And a special thanks for Dereksgirl24 who gave my story a chance and enjoyed it…I hope ****J Now starting here on out there will be flashbacks occasionally, which will be in italics so it'll be easy to tell. It'll help explain the Derek and Alex back story because I know some of you guys are curious. **

_Deep down she could admit to her father being right, but to say it out loud was a completely different story. It would've made her trek to school a lot cooler if she really had cut her hair. The heavy drag mixed with the high humidity was definitely overwhelming for her. It took way too long for her hair to even grow to it's current length and she was going to enjoy it while it lasted. _

_Her worst mistake so far this year might have been the idea to walk to school on her first day. Having been born and raised in Alaska, unlike her parents, California was suddenly the catalyst to her face melting. Smirking to herself, she realized her bike might be better suited for tomorrow. _

_The crowded parking lot was reminiscent of any high school. Crazy drivers revved their engines to try and out beat others, girls in mini skirts lying on hoods to get a tan and others just hung back with their cliques. Alex had seen these all before but this time she was the new girl and they were staring. Pressing her earphones even tighter to her eardrums she tried to ignore them. It was easy to understand why they were staring, she was the new 'fresh meat' and 'outsider.'_

_It probably would've been easier if she just quickened her pace and made it inside the school before everyone else migrated in as well. Continuing her trek across the heated pavement, she let her eyes wander towards the vehicles. She had a soft spot for the sweet smell of burning fuel in the morning, especially when it was paired with the luscious vibration of heavy horsepower between her legs. The downside to most of the cars she was staring at, was one, they were probably from daddy, and two, most of the boys probably had no idea what was under the hood. Her eyes slide seductively around the curves of a couple Mercedes, several Escalades and a Porsche but it was the black Camaro that caught her eye. It's black paint still looked new and the tire treads were low, obvious of someone that drove her hard and fast but she was beautiful. "You might want to be careful when you're eyeing that car."_

_Turning around a little too quickly, she slammed into the broad chest of the stranger speaking to her. "Whoa, I'm sorry. Is it your car?"_

_His brown eyes twinkled while he chuckled, "No, it's Dereks' car but he can be cranky if he sees you too close to it." Brushing his shaggy blond hair from his eyes, he reached out to grab her fallen backpack. "You must be new."_

"_Yeah, do I have the fresh meat smell?" Turning around to head inside, Alex was greeted yet again by the young man's deep chuckle._

"_Well Beacon Hills is kinda small so it's easy to tell who's new but we can go with your theory. It's more entertaining." To most people, it was obvious that she was short. She barely passed the 4'12'' mark required by most amusement parks, but walking next to the typical California beach boy was slightly unnerving. His fit physique stretched beyond six feet, towering over her small frame. _

"_So what sport do you play?" Alex had noticed the red jersey he was wearing but couldn't quite place the sport. It had the look-a-like jersey for football but it was paired with shorts instead. _

"_Oh, we do lacrosse here. I'm the Co-Captain." _

"_Impressive. I've never seen a lacrosse game." Alex was suddenly stopped when the young man gripped her elbow to stop her forward motion._

"_You should come tonight! It's our first game and we could use the support." To say he reminded her of her golden retriever whenever she waved a ball around, would've been an understatement. He seemed to dance in his tennis shoes, excited at the concept of her seeing him play._

"_Umm, sure. That sounds like fun."_

"_Sweet! Oh, here's the main office for you." Standing before her loomed the dreaded office doors. They technically held her high school career in their hands; having already selected classes for her._

"_Uh thanks…._

"_Oh! Sorry it's Jake."_

"_Well thanks Jake." Her hand heavy on the oak doors, she pressed hard to step through._

"_Wait…what's your name?"_

_This was the part she hated the most, meeting people. They would ask her name, talk to her, maybe actually like her and get to know her and before too long she would be gone. It wasn't something she particularly enjoyed but it was her life and she accepted it. People shouldn't get close to her. _

"_Alex." She would leave at that. A small noun that would hopefully be lost in the multitude of others he probably knew. _

* * *

'_Damnit, really? Who the hell gets PE first period?' Alex cursed yet again, already on her third lap around the school track. Somehow teachers around here hadn't heard of the 'taking it easy on the first day of school' concept. Her gym teacher thought the hot weather was a pleasant atmosphere to test everyone's mile time. _

_Her head was constantly on a swivel. The boys lacrosse team practiced during morning PE as well, taking up the entire green turf. From time to time she would spot Jake as he practiced scoring goal. His excited hand waving towards her was distracting. The few girls that actually made up her freshmen gym class took their time jogging around the track; Alex already a lap ahead of them. Their sexually suggestive comments aimed at the hormonal jocks was just disgusting. The desperate note behind every eye flutter was annoying._

_She pumped her legs faster, listening to the heavy rasp of air as it passed her lips. The wet slick of marker on her hand signaled her last lap. She was determined to beat the lanky boy ahead of her; his long legs gaining ground before her. _

_She pushed her legs to open her strides farther but they were exhausted. The muscles trembled, thirsty for water. The young man ahead of her already rounding the last curve of the track before she had finished the first stretch. Slowing her speed down to an easy jog, she settled for second place. _

_Her attention was once again drawn to the practicing sports team. They were certainly busy with multiple stations going on at once. Some boys practiced scoring goals, others were running laps with her classmates, and well….Jake was having a heated argument with another boy on the team. His arms seemed to flail around, trying to emphasize the point he was trying to make, while his face contorted painfully in his fits of rage. His hissy fit wasn't impressing or intimidating the other guy. He stood tall, his back straight and broad shoulders held back. His arms were folded tight across his muscular chest; his body showing zero signs of a threat. _

_Alex could care less, even though it seemed to upset some of the other girls, what Jake was having an issue over. The other intrigued her like no other man had. His unruly hair looking like he had just rolled out of bed, the tight jaw line was smooth, leading to a perfect mouth. Alex involuntarily gulped, her body suddenly in hormone overload. All she really wanted to do was see his eyes. If they were even half as intense has his body was at that moment, she'd be lost forever. _

_He was either a mind reader or he grew tired of Jake's whine because next thing she knew, his eyes were on her. Most girls would've looked away, too shy to hold contact with those blue eyes. Alex couldn't look away, her eyes wouldn't unglue from his. She did thank God that there hadn't been any hurdles on the track that day, that would've been embarrassing._

_His blue eyes were like lightning, striking her soul and setting her ablaze. Her legs were putty to his power but she didn't care. She could've ran across that turf and launched herself at him, her legs locking around his waist while her lips grazed his. The recovery of her mental health from such an embarrassing action kept her legs running towards the finish line. His eyes unfortunately never once left her retreating form; burning holes in the back of her tank top. _

_She wouldn't know it that day but that was her first experience with Derek Hale. _

* * *

He was her addiction and for six years she had tried to replace that ache with someone else. She had failed, no one had even come close to the man lounging across her bed right now. They had simply been so easy to use and just as easy to discard. Their bodies had been so tamed compared to his, their skin never scolded her, their lips left hers unaffected and her body had never craved more from them.

With his upper body braced against the headboard and legs crossed at the ankle, he looked so devilishly good. Six years had hardened his face and body into that of a man. The jaw line smothered in black stubble beckoned her forward, needing the smooth touch of her hands. She kept her feet firmly planted against the carpeted floor.

Turning away, she went to place her jacket inside the tiny closet. His eyes watched her every move, she could the feel the slow burn as they slide over her body. Her fingers trembled as they fed the hanger through the leather sleeves. She wasn't particularly sure how things went from here. She had disappeared for six years and even though her feelings were just as strong, she wasn't positive where Derek stood on anything. He still looked like the boy she fell in love with but time had dealt him a shitty hand.

"How did you get in here?" Alex mentally slapped herself. Out of all the questions she could've asked. Hell, out of all the things she could be doing to him right now and she decides to find out how he got inside her room.

Silence still greeted her ears. Turning around, she found him still staring at her. His eyes intensely examining her new, strong body. Suddenly his head jerked to the side. Turning her head in the same direction, she noticed her unlatched window slightly open to the early morning breeze.

"You need to stop doing that."

She let her eyes drop back to his gaze. 'Damn those eyes,' they had the easiest way of getting to her heart. "Sorry, it's habit."

He visibly winced from that comment. He knew perfectly well why she kept her window unlocked; it made it easier for him to sneak into her room at night. Somehow knowing that the window was always open for him, always made her feel safe.

"Where'd you go?"

His voice was so tiny and beaten. It was time for Alex to wince now. His words were like knives to her heart. She had left because it hurt too much to be around a man that regretted his decision to turn her. She hadn't thought of the possibility that it might've hurt him as well. "I traveled a lot. I ended up in London."

She watched as he nodded his head; his eyes gone, deep in thought. "Derek, what happened to you?"

His body tensed considerably, his eyes suddenly darkened to that of a thunder storm. She knew that look, she had seen it a few times in the short year before she ran. He fought internally, his soul suddenly going out like a pilot light; his pain visible through his tight muscles. "Everyone's dead Alex."

His body rose so fluidly from the bed. She was still amazed at his strength. His long legs stalked towards her. His eyes never left her own, his tall body towering over her. She remembered a time when he would almost curl himself around her, protecting her from everything. She would've reminded him that he didn't need to do that anymore, but it wouldn't have mattered. His response had always been that he needed to protect her, that his instincts wouldn't allow for anything less.

His hands slowly raised to her face, brushing down her soft skin. He moved so delicately, trying to memorize every curve and dip, as he traveled past her shoulder and down her arm. He stopped at her forearm, his fingers lazily tracing the black letters scaring her skin.

She shuddered at his touch. It had been so long since she had felt such heat and God did she crave it. The feel of his fingers tracing her tattoo was a slow seduction, his hands bringing back memories for the both of them.

His hand suddenly stopped their decent at her fingers. His large hands engulfed her own, but their fingers intertwined so perfectly together. Her breath suddenly caught in her throat as he pressed a kiss to her palm. His lips lingered for a moment, her palm pressed so gently against his face. His uneven breath chaffed her naked skin.

He allowed one more hitched breath before he made himself gain control. Slowly he lowered her arm, dropping it from his grasp. One last look into her eyes and he turned to leave. Alex closed her eyes and let her head drop back, her mind so fuzzy she couldn't even think straight. It didn't however stop her from hearing him one more time before her door closed.

"I missed you."


	6. Chapter 6

The hot water stripped her skin of any feeling. It wasn't enough to wash away the agonizing pain of guilt and remorse.

The moment Derek walked from her room, her entire facade crashed down around her. For so long she had tried to be strong. So strong she couldn't even remember what it was like to feel anything. Her unique set of skills kept her alive in London; her dead soul being the only victim. Now a shadow from her past was trying to stitch up the holes left behind. The black thread would pull mercilessly, bringing her back together but ripping her soul further apart.

Tears streamed down her face, hidden amongst the steady flow of water. Trembling, Alex looked down upon her naked hands. Their clean appearance couldn't hide the flow of red that she knew should be there. No amount of scrubbing would free her unblemished skin. She would always see the stains.

She curled her body even tighter within herself, huddling against the shower wall. Her body had been honed as a weapon, used to cause pain. What did she have to show for it now? An empty life and a broken soul.

The creeping of cool water made it's way through the heavy stream. Turning around Alex pushed the nozzle down, shutting off the shower. Her naked body rose lazily, feet barely touching the chilly tiles. The steam clung to her skin, warming her body even after the hot shower had ended.

She skipped the towel, standing completely nude in front of the foggy mirror. Swiping the hand vigorously across the glass, she watched her disheveled face appear before her. Deep purple bruises marred the tender skin beneath her eyes. Her body no longer had the energy to lie down and sleep. Her dreams already knowing they'd be replaced by nightmares. Her usually full lips seemed too dull, lacking in color. She refused to focus on her eyes. Years of pain and death had darkened them from a warm brown to a deep fathomless shade; almost black.

Her hand subconsciously rubbed her right shoulder, her fingers tracing the intricate pattern only she had memorized. Her breathing slowed, her mind remembering the day she had received his bite. She remembered a shy boy, so scared of hurting her. He had seemed mesmerized by her pale skin, spending an endless amount of time tracing that bare shoulder with his hands before he sank his teeth in. The pain had been sharp but brief, his strong body there to cradle her after. He had spent hours that night whispering words of love to her, never realizing that she could hear them even through her muddled dreams.

Swiping her hand angrily across the glass one more time, she preferred her jagged reflection. Her heart hurt too much to think about him still. She had made it back, made herself stand in the same room only to realize just how much she still loved him. Her breath would always hitch whenever he was near. Her limbs would always tremble with the mire thought of grazing his.

She could preach to herself for hours, berating her inabilities to think straight around him. They hadn't seen each other for years and she couldn't hide six years of bloodshed from him. Her innocent dancer days were gone. She had abandoned them on the highway the day she sped away from Beacon Hills. Her guilty soul was the only reminder of her old self, the girl that Derek had actually cared for. Could he actually love her with her dark side now? She really had nothing to lose if he couldn't….she had already lost everything.

* * *

Her gut wrenching sobs were unbearable to listen to. His body refused to move from it's stationary position by her door. He pleaded for his feet to move, to carry him away from the pain that exuded from that room. His inner beast clawed at it's restraints. Knowing their mate was in pain, he was begging for release.

Shuddering out a quivering breath, Derek kept his body pressed tight to her door. Hours had passed, the cool afternoon already creeping upon his tired limbs. Alex's wolf senses had yet to pick up on his presence and she wouldn't. Her despair was so great, her pain so piercing, it left her body completely numb to everything else.

His fingers itched with the memory of tracing her skin. It had felt so good, so unbelievably destined. Six years of loneliness, of nightly visits from wanton women, of indescribable guilt and he was beginning to finally feel alive. His skin suddenly feeling warmer to his own touch. Her appearance was bringing about a new sense of renewal. His senses were sharper, his instincts suddenly more important with her arrival.

Her shower was suddenly on, the sweet scent of her naked flesh reaching his nose even outside the door. With his eyes closed, he could only imagine what it would feel like to hold her flesh to flesh. How it would feel to have her heartbeat hammering against his own as they moved in gentle unison. He was sure he could've died at that moment, his final wish to only make love to her, to show her what it was like to finally let go.

Her cries reached his sensitive ears again. Gritting his teeth, he slammed his fist against the wall. He couldn't go to her no matter how much they both needed it. She was so broken, so utterly shattered it was straining their bond. Everything was different about her. Her hair shorter, her skin less vibrant, her sharp tongue holding more restraint. And her eyes…those beautiful full eyes….were completely gone. Two dark pools smothered their fire like a heavy cloak.

Her quiet footsteps broke his reverie. She was trying to go back to sleep, something they both knew didn't come easily anymore. He waited for her to sense him, to come barging through her door to yell at him, to accuse him of spying on her privacy….nothing. Her sobs muted by the thick quilt surrounding her body. Her wolf side was caged deep within her depression, refusing to unleash his own fiery.

He wasn't weak, never had been. Even when she had arrived so unceremoniously in his life, she had only made him stronger. Now, she was falling apart, her body slowly dying. His teeth ground tightly together. His fists clenched, blood slowly dribbling down his knuckles. Someone had ruined his mate. They had dragged her innocent soul through filch, slowly breaking her, taming her fiery spirit.

Derek launched himself from the wall, his steps quick as they walked back through the alleyways he tracked her through. The kids would be back at the hideout within a few hours and he needed some time to himself. His body was weak, physically and emotionally drained. Alex would have to come to him on her own time, her body needed healing as well. She was strong but she was lost at the moment, her trip to find peace had only led to her finding a demons.

The warehouse was dark, the windows boarded up. Any unnecessary light could spell disaster for them all. He finally had a chance to have Alex back in his life and he was constantly fighting for his own. How could he intentionally put her in danger? The more distance he put between them would keep her alive.

The sub car was deserted, everything in the same spot he had deserted them on. The Argents hadn't been there, his hideout still safe for the moment. Shrugging out of his jacket, he threw it to one of the bench seats where the rest of his clothes lied. He had been leading such a solitary life, living in places that no one would even consider calling home. It was starting to get to him. When was he going to be able to stop running, to actually use his inheritance money to find a place to live? He wanted the day when he'd be able to know the feel of a real bed again. Not the pile of thick quilts that keep him a couple feet off the cold floor.

His shirt shortly followed suit, falling to the floor by his bed. His body was weary, his muscles needing time to unclench. His hand slowly crawled to his throat, fingering the silver chain. His fingers remembered the intricate pattern of each knot, falling to the solitary object that occupied the lonely chain. The sapphire stone was set within a silver band, it's fiery blue sparking beautifully against the simple background. Everything about that ring had reminded him about her, about her fire, the very reason he fell in love with her.


	7. Chapter 7

"_Chapters one through five of your chemistry text. There will be a test on Monday." _

_Alex watched her lanky chemistry teacher slither lazily between their tables. Barely a month had passed since school had started and this guy was seriously trying to shoot her weekends to hell. _

_The multitude of groans throughout the classroom echoed her sentiments. Her thoughts of murder on the other hand, were hard to hide behind her narrowed eyes. _

"_Oh man, this blows." Alex turned to Jake; his head buried deep within his crossed arms. He had been on her tail since they first met; following her around classes and eating with her at lunch. She had thought at one point that she might have been his only friend. _

_As the past couple years got rough for her, she refused to get close to anyone. Her parents had urged her to live life more fully but their attempts fell on empty ears. She was perfectly content with their companionship. Friends simply added more complications._

_Jake had managed to clear a space in her heart though. He was an attractive young athlete that had zero confidence. His constant aloof attitude kept her the more mature of the two but he brought a new light to her life. _

_Just the other day she had caught him stealing one of the ball projectors from the gym storage room. She found him out on the lacrosse field trying to catch the fast pitches. Neither of them had known that the button would get stuck and the balls would keep flying. _

_She could still see the purple welts peeking out from under his shirt sleeves. Even at the expense of his embarrassment, he had let her laugh at his misfortune. She had felt horrible after and had tried to apologize but he simply shrugged off her words and told her that it was pretty funny. Everyone deserved a good laugh here and there. _

"_We can get some studying in together, if you want." _

_Jakes' head shot up, a grin plastered on his face. "Sweet! We could go down to the library after school today." _

"_Don't you have lacrosse practice?" And just like that, the light in his pupils died and his eyes narrowed to slits. She hadn't meant to bring up a sore topic but she wasn't sure why he was so irritated. As far as she knew, he was completely obsessed with his training. The few times they hung out during the week, involved her doing her homework in the bleachers while he practiced with his team below. _

"_Not today, thanks to Derek. I swear he only does it so he can spend time with his girlfriend."_

_Alex winced slightly and turned her attention back to packing her bag. Jake was too obsessed with his internal dialogue to notice the subtle change in her body posture. _

_The mysterious Derek Hale was an anomaly that still managed to plague her mind. As a warm bloodied female, she could acknowledge the obvious attraction of said bad boy but she didn't have to show it. It seemed that every girl in their school, new or old, tried to throw themselves at him behind every corner. Luckily he held some morals; he kept them all at a safe distance. _

_She had a hard time erasing the few times she had interacted with him. _

_After her first day of school, Jake had found her by her locker. He had been wondering about her day and asked if she had seen him practicing that morning. Her efforts to brush off any further attention from him had failed and she eventually gave in to his excited questions._

_Leaning against her locker, she stated what she had remembered seeing of him that morning; conveniently leaving out the staring contest with the blue eyed devil. _

"_Make sure you practice more, Jones." Jake's excited commentary halted abruptly; his attention now on the man walking towards him. _

_Alex had craned her head around his large frame to get a look at the new intruder. The owner of the voice seemed to frustrate Jake further and her curiosity spiked even more. She should've ignored the jab and focused her attention on continuing their conversation._

_The same boy from the pitch earlier smirked in their general direction. Dark jeans hung deliciously around his long legs, while an old black t- shirt showcased his biceps. Boy may have not been the right term to describe the developing man in front of them._

_His relaxed posture and steady stride made Jake look weak in comparison. Alex could see why the females on the track had been trying to get his attention. He was the epitome of every girls fantasy. Tall, dark and handsome weren't strong enough to describe him. They certainly weren't enough to explain the excitement pooling low in her stomach._

"_Yeah I practice everyday Derek." _

_He continued his walk towards the set of stairs, a smirk still present on his perfect face. His eyes had turned briefly to hers before he started to descend. "Hey new girl."_

_Alex growled slightly beneath her breath, "I have a name, jackass."_

_As if he heard her, he stopped his descent to turn towards them again. His trademark smirk aimed directly at Alex now. "What's your name?"_

_Alex in turn smirked back at him, her arms crossed tightly across her chest, "You haven't earned the right."_

_A small laugh erupted between his lips, "I guess I'll have to work harder at that then." _

"_Alex you in there? The bell rang, we can leave now." Jakes' hand waving frantically in front of her face brought her back to reality. _

"_Oh yeah, sorry. I must've dozed off." Grabbing her bag from the floor, she exited the lab with an oblivious Jake trailing behind her. _

_She knew he wasn't the biggest fan of Derek, so she tried to not bring up anything that might involve him but she couldn't deny the curiosity that brewed within her. She honestly wished she knew more about the cocky man that invaded her thoughts everyday._

* * *

"_Look at him," Alex looked up from her chemistry notes to stare at the distracted boy across the table from her, "he thinks he's soooo good looking." _

_Alex sighed for what had to be the millionth time since they had sat down. She understood that Jake had an attention span of a baby monkey and hated balancing chemical equations but if she was trying to ignore the feelings Derek provoked in her, it was becoming more difficult with Jake. _

"_Jake, are you trying to tell me something?" _

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_Well….you do spend an awful amount of time staring at Derek." _

_Jakes' attention suddenly shot away from the girls sitting with Derek, "That's just disturbing." _

"_What's poor Jakey complaining about now?" Heavy textbooks slammed violently upon their table, startling both occupants. The dark haired beauty plopped lazily in a chair before ripping her notebook open. _

_Alex laughed at the incredulous look upon Jakes' face. "I was insinuating that Jake might have feelings for your brother." _

"_Well that does explain a lot," laughed Laura._

"_I don't know why I even hang out with you two." Jake complained as he grabbed the bag of M&Ms from Laura's hands. _

_Alex watched as her two friends argued loudly over the candy bag. She hadn't realized how much these two people had impacted her life. Life had to take a more realistic and serious tone with her when she was very young. There hadn't been any time for arguments over who wanted the candy more. There hadn't been time for her to sit on stone cold bleachers while she cheered on the barbaric acts of lacrosse. _

_She was slowly beginning to realize that all of it had been her fault. She had been trying for so long to seclude herself because she didn't want to have to explain to people what was wrong with her; why she was trying to spend more time by herself. She hadn't realized that her life was slowly losing its light_

_She watched as Laura failed miserably to lunge at Jake's arm. The young man of course continued to laugh uncontrollably as he used his long arms to keep the snack out of her reach. _

_Suddenly the bag was ripped from Jake's hand as Laura fell against him. Both teenagers directed their eyes above to the new imposter; Derek stared back them, his eyebrows raised high upon his forehead. _

"_You two are ridiculous." His large hands tore the bag open; pouring half its contents into his mouth. _

"_Derek, you suck." He smirked at his sister before he dropped his book bag and took the seat next to Alex._

_She swallowed nervously when his cologne hit her. Actually, she wasn't exactly positive if that was cologne she was smelling. He smelled fresh, straight from a shower, with a hint of pine. How he managed to smell like the woods constantly befuddled her from day to day. _

_Reverting her eyes back to her chemistry textbook, she tried to concentrate on her notes. _

* * *

_He actually HAD been trying to study when the girls joined him at the table. Derek knew he hadn't given them an open invitation to sit with him but they seemed to believe that it was a given when he was in a room. _

_He'd be lying if he said that he didn't find any of them attractive. Daddy's money had worked well for all of the popular girls at Beacon Hills; high end clothes and makeup. Unfortunately all their wealth couldn't camouflage the spare tire they all had for a brain. _

_They would be so easy to use but too difficult to get rid of. He knew their type so well. They dressed to impress, laughed at all your stupid jokes, acted weak so you'd come to their rescue but they added no real substance to your life. _

"_Hey Derek, do you wanna come over and watch a movie with me later?" Derek cringed internally at Isabel's voice. She tried so hard to fake innocence but the hand she was slowly traveling up his thigh was proving otherwise. Her attraction to him was so strong he was having a hard time concentrating; he had already taken her hand off him once. _

"_Give me back my candy Jake!" Laura's voice rang loud and clear to him from across the library. She was trying so hard to get her snack back from Jones without using her extra abilities. Though she found it easy to blend in to the crowd, Derek had it harder. The constant scent of female arousal attacked him at every corner and he played a sport where he got to knock guys down to the ground everyday. His wolf half was hard to contain at times. _

_If their lack of tact or intelligence wasn't enough, he tried to remind himself of Kate whenever other girls came around. It seemed to work for a bit before he was back to trying to control himself. Their relationship was on the rocks lately and she was no longer a beacon of light for him at the end of the day. _

_She had stopped coming to his games but he didn't mind that as much anymore. Her weird fascination to spend time with him and his family all the time was becoming a concern. She didn't take him back to her apartment so much as she wanted to be at his house to observe his family and their activities._

"_Aw, come on Derek. I'm going to be all by myself." Slamming his notebook closed, he stuffed it back into his bag. He could already smell her excitement; she thought he was taken her up on the offer._

"_Leave me alone Isabel," seethed Derek. He left their table without any explanations for his abrupt mood change. Normally he'd blame it on the approaching full moon but that wouldn't be the complete truth. He was tired of being in a horrible relationship with an overbearing woman. He was tired of being surrounded by fake females that wanted nothing more than his body and his car. _

_Approaching his sisters' table, he watched how she interacted with her friends. Everything seemed so effortless, so real. She didn't have to tone down her eccentric attitude but rather they encouraged her to voice her opinion. _

_Jake was a great lacrosse player (though he'd never admit it out loud) but he took the training too seriously. It was good to see that he could be more carefree when he was with his sister. _

_Now the new girl was too confusing for him to comprehend. From what he had heard from his sister, her name was Alex and she was a really good student. She was the one that kept the other two on track; something incredibly difficult when his ADD sister was involved. _

_He kept his questions to a minimum with his sister. He didn't want her to realize just how much Alex intrigued him. Her scent was off from the other people at their school and he had yet to figure out why. If his sister was concerned by it, she hadn't showed any signs yet._

_On the other hand, he could tell that she did find him attractive. With each step he took towards her, her heartbeat sped up considerably. That normally wouldn't have fazed him but it was her reaction that interested him. She was a beautiful girl that refused to let her emotions get the best of her. On the few occasions they had actually spoken, she hadn't tried to ask him out or proposition him._

_Her refusal to act like the other girls at their high school was what attracted him to her. She kept herself bottled up; revealing nothing significant about herself. Laura and Jake didn't even know what her favorite color was. _

_Grabbing the candy away from his sister, he tried to use the sugar to distract him from the heat Alex's body was giving off. He could tell she was trying to ignore him again but her rapidly beating heart was hard for him to ignore. _

_She felt a pull towards him like he felt one for her._


	8. Chapter 8

_His thighs were already throbbing; his muscles screaming for water. Jake ignored the need for his body's hydration and continued to sprint down the field. Derek had the ball but he was surrounded by opposing colors. He had no clear shot towards the goal or to any players down the field. _

_Derek had yet to pass the ball to him this season, or rather every season, but the once cranky senior seemed to be taking a turn towards friendly lately. It did seem really odd to Jake that he would try to be pleasant to him but he assumed it was because he was really good friends with Laura. But regarding his current activities, Jake was starting to think the poor guy might be really sick. _

_Symptom number one: fever. Well at least Jake assumed the older boy had to at least have some bug trying to fry his brain. He caught him in a heated argument with his girlfriend in the school parking lot. Jake had always been sort of envious over that relationship; he managed to snag an older woman. Jake being a rather inexperienced junior, had decided to live vicariously through Derek. Unfortunately their frenzied argument ended when Derek stated he wanted nothing to do with her anymore and sped out of their parking lot in his Camaro. Who broke off a relationship with an older woman with that much experience?_

_Symptom number two: headache. He had counted last Friday down as a fluke. Derek definitely didn't sit at any table that he had ever occupied and he certainly never missed a chance to discuss his lack of lacrosse skills with him. All those had changed, well not the lacrosse talk, but he no longer resided as head of the popular table. _

_Everyday after school if there was no lacrosse practice, Derek took his seat next to Alex and began studying. Jake had been surprised to find that he was rather intelligent; a black sheep to the ordinarily stupid white ones that still sat at his original table. He endured their many conversations and still put his two cents in whenever lacrosse came up (the girls did finally forbid lacrosse talk at their table). Derek had even been slightly amused when Jake got in an argument with Alex over who would win in a fight: Batman or Superman? _

_Again Jake chalked it down to the fact that his sister was friends with both him and Alex. Those peroxide blonde bimbos were enough to give anyone a headache but Jake was convinced the guy must be sick if he was wanting to give all that up._

"_Derek I'm open!" Derek's blue eyes flew to Jake, realizing he somehow managed to get past his defender. _

_Jake gripped his stick even tighter, trying to ignore the salty sting of sweat in his eyes. His feet dug deeper in the earth; ready to spring forward as soon as he passed the ball. _

_Derek on the other hand, continued to stare at him in disbelieve. He was probably wondering how he had gotten past the other players on the field. _

"_Derek I'm open!" Jake repeated one more time, trying to get his voice to carry over the sounds of bodies colliding with each other. Derek seemed to snap out of his reverie and almost too fast to see, the ball was in his net._

_Jake's feet ripped from the ground and he sprinted towards the goal. It took ten seconds for the team to notice that Derek no longer had the ball; his body was being used to take down any defender that rushed towards Jake._

_Jake finally spun around the last man blocking his prize. He could hear his body hit the ground after he collided with the brick house that was Hale. Swiping his stick high above his head, Jake took one last look before he launched it towards the goal._

"_Derek's team wins!"_

_Jake opened his eyes to see that his ball had indeed eluded the goalie and made contact with the net. Several males hollered out in victory; each of them slapping Jake on his back. _

"_Alright guys, that was a great practice. Now the season starts next month so if we can keep this up, I don't see why we can't kick everyone's asses!"_

* * *

_Jake had never felt so good in his life. It was like he had been standing outside the club doors for years without getting the acknowledgment to enter. And in the short amount of time it took him to make that goal, Jake had finally been anointed into manhood. He was no longer the boy that argued with Derek over their lacrosse plays. He was no longer the boy that played during games but only got recognized by his parents. Jake was finally a part of a team, a part of a family that he had been trying so hard to be brought into._

_And suddenly as he walked through the parking lot to his crappy Civic, he began to realize what it felt like to walk with confidence; his back straight and his head held high. He kept his backpack on one shoulder and his hands in his pockets; just like James Dean would. _

_Approaching his car, he didn't see a Civic anymore, it was a Ferrari. Its body slick and red; beautiful Laura sitting in the passenger seat, waiting for her man to come out. Jake's smile got even bigger as he glanced at his future._

"_Spacing out much." Jake's vision dissolved instantly. He stared back at his forest green car, complete, without a girlfriend. Turning his head to his right, he found Derek sitting in his Camaro. He had been trying to back up but with Jake in the way, it would have ended badly._

"_Oh….yeah," Jake blushed and barely managed to stutter out his response. Striking up a faster pace, Jake nearly ran around his bumper to get to his door. The keys fumbled between his fingers before falling dramatically to the asphalt at his feet._

_Cursing quietly to himself, he reached for the fallen objects to only encounter an even bigger problem…a flat tire. "Oh come on! Are you serious?!" _

"_Flat tire there Jake." Jake didn't realize that Derek hadn't left yet. Shooting up abruptly from his crouch, his head rammed harshly into his side mirror._

"_Oh mother!" _

_Rolling his eyes, Derek got out of his vehicle, leaving it running right behind Jake's inhibited piece of junk. "How did you not feel that earlier when you drove to school?"_

"_I don't know. I guess it felt a little bumpy but I don't know cars." _

"_Obviously." _

_Embarrassed, Jake rubbed the top of his head as he watched Derek examine his busted tire. "What you do expect? I've been raised by a single mother."_

"_My mother knows cars," replied Derek. His raised eyebrows gave no room for misinterpretation. Derek seriously thought he was a dork again. "Where's your spare tire?"_

_Halting briefly from rubbing his head, Jake squeezed out a heavy sigh between his clenched teeth. "Yeah about that….I don't have one."_

"_How do you not have a spare?"_

"_Well, technically I do…." Derek continued to stare as he rambled, "but it's in my garage….at my house."_

"_Why….," suddenly stopping his speech, Derek stood from his crouch and turned back to his car, "I'm not going to ask anymore questions because we're just going to go in circles. Look just get in my car and I'll take you home." _

"_Really?" Surprised, Jake stared openmouthed at the senior._

"_Unless you would rather walk." _

"_No, I'm good!" Grabbing his dropped backpack, Jake sprinted over to the passenger door of Derek's Camaro. Its smooth handle and dark paint job whispered dangerous ideas to him; his blood suddenly felt on fire with excitement. _

_Jake barely clicked the seatbelt into place before Derek was shooting out of the parking lot; his hands shifting gears with exact precision. _

"_Where do you live?"_

"_Oh it's the only blue house down on Harrison street."_

_Nodding his head slowly, Derek continued through town without further talk. Jake kept his attention out his window hoping to minimize the awkwardness in the air. Stopping at a light a few blocks down from his street, his attention was drawn to the sight of muscular legs clad in small shorts. She was walking ahead of them, probably heading home after a good workout. With the hood of her dark jacket pulled over her head, Jake wasn't sure if he actually knew her or not. _

"_Hey Derek, check her out…she's got a nice body." Derek stared at Jake as he practically fogged up his window with his breath. He might as well have had his tongue hanging out. Waiting for the light to change, he turned his attention to the wonder that Jake was fascinated by. With her back turned to them, he couldn't actually tell if they had seen her before, but he admitted that Jake was right. Those tight spandex shorts certainly showed her assets off well._

"_Hey when we get up to her, would you be willing to slow down so I can talk to her?"_

_Derek broke off his stare to simply gawk at Jake, "Seriously?"_

"_What you don't think I can 'woo' her with the infamous Jake charm?"_

"_No" _

_Jake's cheeks heated from his embarrassment, "Wanna bet? 20 bucks?"_

"_Deal"_

_Derek smirked and placed his hands back on the steering wheel, waiting for the light to change. The bright green signaled his excitement and he shot forward, closing in on the space between them and their game. _

_Pulling over slightly so they drove over the bike lane, Derek got up behind her before he signaled Jake to start talking to her. Nodding his head eagerly, Jake rolled down his window and hollered, "Hey there baby girl, what's your name?"_

_The girl jumped slightly from the sound of his voice, dropping her Ipod in the process. Picking up the device from the ground quickly (the boys both enjoying that view), she spun around harshly. _

"_Alex?!" Jake nearly choked on her name as it left his lips._

"_What the hell are you doing Jake?! You trying to scare me?" Alex was slowly trying to calm down her heart rate as she approached Derek's car. The first idiot was still choking on his own spit while the second idiot just stared at her. Reaching her hand through Jakes open window, she smacked his back several times, trying to calm his coughing spell._

"_Thanks for that Alex." Jake finally took a shuddering breath without sputtering out one of his lungs._

"_Do you feel better?" Jake smiled and nodded his head at her._

"_Good." Reaching back through the window, Alex smacked Jake on the back of his head._

"_Ouch! What was that for?!" _

"_Oh, I don't know. Maybe it was for the, "hey baby girl" douche bag you were twenty seconds ago!"_

_Derek was honestly having a really hard time not losing it in front of those two. He knew in his head that Jakes new found confidence was going to get him in trouble but he didn't realize fate was so cruel. He knew Jake didn't have feelings for Alex because his heartbeat rarely changed when he was around her. The only time it ever sped up was when his sister was around; something he truly wanted to kill the boy over._

_Hearing a rather loud slap erupt in his car, he watched Jakes head bounce forward from the force that was Alex's hand. Her eyes were narrowed in anger as she bitched him out for being disrespectful towards women. He would have normally laughed at the lame excuses Jake was trying to give her but he couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful brunette in front of him. _

_He honestly didn't remember the day that he actually realized how beautiful Alex was but it always seemed to circle around the days when she was angry. Her eyes would suddenly become dark, contrasting with the red splotches on her cheeks. She preferred to talk with her hands, emphasizing every passionate word that rushed from her mouth. _

_He continued to watch her as she finally forgave Jake with a brilliant smile. Her white teeth shone brightly against her tan skin; something she had only just obtained within the past month. Her hair was restrained back in a messy bun but the wet tendrils that had managed to escape, framed an exhausted face. _

"_Hey do you want a ride?"_

_Both Alex and Jake halted their conversation to stare at Derek. His back was leaning casually against the door as he had watched the two of the them bicker for the past ten minutes. _

_Alex swiped her hand across her forehead, trying to get rid of any extra sweat that might have escaped since she started walking. "Oh Derek, ummm….actually I'm good. I'm pretty sore so the walking will help and I've got a headache too so then the fresh air is also a plus."_

_Furrowing his eyebrows, Derek stared into her eyes a little harder. She did seem to be in some pain, something he had missed earlier when he was assessing her. "Are you sure? Jake can get in the back."_

"_Hey! Why do I have to get in the back?" The looks from both Alex and Derek were enough to shut him up. Turning his attention away from their burning irises, he reached for his wallet. He now owed Derek twenty dollars. _

_Alex ignored the fact that Jake was handing Derek a twenty and placed her headphones back in her ears. "Yeah I'm sure Derek. I do really appreciate the offer but I do just want to walk home. It's about ten minutes anyway."_

"_Are you positive?"_

_Laughing, Alex stepped back onto the sidewalk and began walking again. "Yeah I'm positive Derek."_

_Derek sighed and began to shift his car back into gear. His hands stalled briefly as he saw her stopping. Turning around, she smiled at him, "And besides, I wouldn't be caught dead in a Camaro."_

* * *

_Alex really didn't lie to the boys to get out of riding in the car. Sure, she wasn't a fan of Camaros but her sudden rash of headaches was making it nearly impossible to handle the noise of the engines. The fresh air on her walks paired with her Florence & The Machine playlist, was enough to calm the nerves and handle the pain better. _

_Stalking up her driveway, she could see her father working on his car in the garage. Depositing her backpack by the front door, she went to see what he was tinkering on today. _

"_Hey dad!"_

_The older man cursed loudly as his head meet the hood of his car, "Seriously? Every time Alex. I'm starting to think you're doing that on purpose."_

_Smirking to herself, Alex jumped up on the stool by his work bench, "Sorry, dad"_

_She watched as her dad laughed, wiping his hands free of oil. The older man stood over six feet, which was enough to intimidate anyone, but matched with his bulky ex-football player body, her father was rather scary looking. But Alex knew the man that he truly was. He was the man that dressed in superhero capes with her when she was little. He was the man that allowed her to keep every abandoned animal she ever found. He was the man that taught her everything she knew about cars. _

"_How was dancing today?" _

_Alex stopped cleaning the car parts on the bench, bringing her attention back to her father. "It was good. I found a song I really like so I've been trying to choreograph a routine to it."_

"_I really wish you'd join a company again. You know your mother and I love watching you dance."_

"_I know….so how's the car coming along?" _

_Her father smirked at her. She had always been good at changing topics when she didn't want to talk. Grabbing the dirty rag that rested on the engine, he lowered the prop stick and dropped the hood into place. "I'm done. Do you want to hear it?"_

"_Hells yes!"_

"_Don't let your mom hear you say that, "laughing, her father twisted the key to turn the car over. The roar of over 400 horsepower vibrated violently along the walls of the garage. The monster stirred her blood and set it on fire. She kept her hands clenched in her lap, her nails digging into her palm, trying to keep her mind off the pain the noise was erupting in her head. _

_As sudden as the roar had started, her father shut it down. "Hey what's wrong? Is it your head again?"_

"_It's ok dad, it's just a headache."_

_Her father approached her and placed his hands on her face, "Yeah but it's different with you. I'm just concerned. Maybe we should go see the doctor again."_

"_Dad, they said this was expected. They can't do anything about it." Slipping off the stool, she walked around her fathers car. Running her hand along the side, she remembered long hours spent with him trying to make it into the beast it was today. _

"_Hey dad, could I ask you a favor?"_

_Sighing, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, "And what favor is this?"_

"_Well there's this boy…."_

"_Oh god…this isn't you trying to give me a heart attack over a boy is it?"_

" _Would you let me finish?!" Alex threw her arms in the air dramatically._

"_Ok, sorry."_

"_Anyway…..there's this boy at school and I was wondering if I could drive the car to school tomorrow?"_

"_Why?"_

"_Because he drives a Camaro."_

_His laugh came out so abruptly, it resembled more of a bark than anything. Grabbing the keys from his pocket, he tossed them to her. "Show him what a real car is."_

_Catching the keys, she squealed excitedly. Running forward, she jumped onto his back as he turned, squeezing her arms around his neck. "Thanks dad!"_

"_Just take care of my baby. I love it more than you."_

"_Hey!"_

"_Ok…I love you equally."_

"_Alright I'll take that."_

* * *

**Hey Guys! I know there's not a lot of Derek and Alex interaction in this chapter but I wanted to get other character POVs in as well. I'm trying to make Jake a little like Stiles. My plan is to have Alex create a bond with Stiles since he reminds her so much of Jake. **

**Don't worry the next chapter is going to have a ton of Derek and Alex interaction without the company of friends around. I do plan on uploading a few more chapters of these flashbacks so you guys can see the back story to these two.**

**The end of season 2 of teen wolf will end this story but season 3 will bring part 2 which is really exciting for me because I'm going to be bringing in the darker elements. We'll be able to find out what Alex was doing in London and why exactly she has changed so much. More importantly, why are her hands so dirty with past bloodshed? It'll tie in quite nicely with the arrival of the Alpha pack.**

**Thanks again for all your support! Please read and review!**


	9. Chapter 9

_Her plan to completely obliterate the male species at her school was sabotaged by her own body. That Monday night brought her body down so hard, she could barely walk around with the throbbing in her head. Her parents' faces as she curled between her comforters was enough to break her own heart. They tried so hard to put up a false front, a positive smile, that she almost wished she had an Oscar to give to both of them. But with each conversation they hid behind their door, she was met with muted sobs every time. And every time they thought she couldn't hear. _

_She heard everything though. She heard her doctors every time they tried to tell her that she was strong. That she had fought so hard for so long but she just couldn't fight it anymore. Her own body was working against her. Her limbs had to work twice as hard to keep up with her daily activities. The headaches were becoming so frequent and painful, that she now wore sunglasses inside the house. _

_She tried to stay as normal as possible the entire week she was home. The blurry words on every page of her homework, was making the process incredibly difficult but she pushed through. In the back of her mind, she wondered why she even bothered doing the work. It wasn't like she was going to make it to the end of the year anyway._

_Both Jake and Laura stopped by during the week. Both of them, unfortunately, bringing more work along for her to start on. They kept at their best; neither of them arguing while they were over. Although they had no idea what type of illness she had, they didn't comment too much on the sunglasses. Jake, on the other hand, did find it rather amusing that her mother kept bringing fudge pops in to make her feel better. By the end of the week, he had helped her consume about four boxes. _

_By the time Friday rolled around, her eyes had adjusted fairly well and she no longer had to wear the sunglasses. With her headaches diminishing, she was hoping she'd be back to school on Monday. _

_Both Jake and Laura said they wouldn't be able to make it over that evening after school. Jake was hoping to toss in a little extra lacrosse practice and Laura would naturally go to watch. Alex was seriously considering an intervention if those two didn't start telling each other how they felt. Jake was just too shy to say anything and Laura….well, she liked to play hard to get._

_With her homework done for the week, Alex tried to keep herself entertained at home. Her head was still too sensitive to go work out in the garage. Her mother forbid her from any straining activities so absolutely NO dancing. Considering their large collection of movies, she was sufficiently making her way through all of them. There was only so many Fast and The Furious marathons she could have before she even got bored. _

_She had eventually migrated upstairs to her room after her mother had come home to start dinner. She was a regular Paula Deen in the kitchen, but she made way too much noise when she was creating a masterpiece. If she wasn't clinking pans together, she was singing malt shop song after malt shop song. _

_Seeing the gorgeous weather through her window, she had tired to get some sketching in. Her page still remained blank. The outdoors just weren't inspiring her today. _

_Tossing her sketchbook aside , she decided a good book might be in her favor. Running her finger along the spines, she could feel the creases of her well read classics. Grabbing a few, she carried them over to her bed and lined them up gently. Their genres certainly didn't line up together but she wasn't sure what she was in the mood to read. A good adventure or a tragic love story?_

_A gentle knock on her door signaled her mother wanted to see her, "Come in."_

_Her mother was a pleasantly plump woman; certainly years of her cooking had contributed to her figure. She knew one of the reasons her father had fallen for her mother was because of her brilliant chef abilities. When you could make a full grown college football player full on potatoes and meat, you were pretty much guaranteed a spot in his heart forever. _

_Her mothers sweet disposition won everyone else over. She refused to turn down anyone who needed help; even letting a random homeless man stay with them for three months to get him back on his feet. Thanks to her he was an intern at a law firm, currently earning his Masters Degree, married with his first child on the way, and now a permanent member on their Christmas card mailing list. Her father always said she was an angel. Alex could never argue with that. _

_"Oh honey there's a boy here to see you," her mother wiggled her eyebrows at her. She normally was quite excited when Jake and Laura came over. She couldn't help but enjoy the happiness she saw in her mothers eyes when she realized that she had friends. Wiggling eyebrows on the other hand? Now that was something new. _

_"What's with the eyebrows?"_

_"Oh you know," and there she did it again. _

_"Yeah I don't know what that means."_

_"It means there's a very attractive young man downstairs," and yet again she wiggled her eyebrows trying to emphasize her point. _

_"Oh gotcha….wiggly eyebrows equal hot guy," laughed Alex._

_"Yes! You're a teenager, aren't you supposed to know these things?"_

_"Aren't you a mother and not supposed to know these things."_

_Giggling, her mother tucked her arm through hers, slowly escorting her down the stairs, "Well you know me dear. I try to keep up with the times."_

_An attractive young man downstairs? She didn't ask her mother what his name was but then again, she would have mentioned it in the room with all the eyebrow wiggling. It couldn't be Jake, not saying that he wasn't attractive, but her parents already knew him. He tended to walk straight through the door, kiss her mother on the cheek as he grabbed some food from the kitchen and then headed straight to her room….if her dad didn't intercept him first. Ever since he found out that Jake knew absolutely nothing about cars, he had been taking him into the garage to give him some lessons. Jake could spend six hours at her house and she would maybe see him for two of those (and that included sitting down for dinner). _

_Finally descending the stairs, her mother left her for the kitchen, while she took off towards the living room. He stood with his back towards her; he was examining some photos of the family along the fireplace. Her dog was already glued to his hip as he scratched her ears. _

_With fall slowly descending upon Beacon Hills, he was wearing an aged leather jacket to keep warm. "Derek."_

_Placing her baby photo back in its place, Derek turned around to greet her. In the five days she had been home, Derek had apparently decided to not shave his face. Dark stubble along his jaw gave him the 5 O' clock shadow needed to complete his bad boy image. Alex did favor the dark jeans he wore; they made his legs look even stronger. Pair those jeans with a white t-shirt, black leather jacket, blue eyes and black stubble…she was surprised she wasn't already a puddle on the floor. She was suddenly wishing her mom had known who was downstairs. The boxer shorts and tank top she was wearing, weren't exactly screaming sexy to the attractive man in her living room. "What are you doing here?"_

_Derek watched as Alex toyed with the bottom of her tank top. Her pulse had sped up dramatically once she had entered the room. The rush of hormones he was also picking up, was making it very hard for him to concentrate. He could tell from the red on her cheeks that she was blushing; probably slightly embarrassed of the attire she had greeted him in. The tiny boxer shorts and tight tank top were working the completely opposite affect she thought she was showing. Clearing his throat, he approached her slowly, "I came by to see how you doing."_

_"Oh…well, I'm doing better. I'm thinking I'll be back to school on Monday." Alex couldn't understand how Derek could stand so confidently in front of her all the time. Where she struggled to keep eye contact with him whenever they spoke, he seemed to never look away from hers. He was a dominant male, she could tell just by the way he stood in a room. His back was always straight, his legs slightly spread apart. Though the posture reminded her of new recruits fresh out of boot camp, his body screamed attention. She saw why the females couldn't look away but now she saw why the males seemed to flock to him as well. His entire presence demanded respect even before he earned it. She was beginning to understand why she always wanted to look at him but she still couldn't understand why he wanted to do the same to her. _

_Nodding his head in agreement, he suddenly felt the weight of his surprise in his jacket pocket. "Hey, I brought you something."_

_Curious, Alex watched as he reached inside his coat. Inside his breast pocket, a small rectangular object rested inside. It was encased in green wrapping paper; ready for her eager hands to tear apart. "You wrapped it too?"_

_His hands fumbled a bit as he slowly handed the gift over. He hadn't thought about wrapping it but at the time of purchase, the cashier had asked if he wanted it done since it was a gift. Considering he carried male blood and failed at any attempt at wrapping things, he agreed without thinking of the repercussions. _

_Why did he get it wrapped? It added a bit more fun to the situation…maybe. It looked better when he handed it over to her…true. But Derek did it for another reason entirely. He just wanted to see her smile. _

_That day when she refused to ride in his car, was the first day he had seen the phenomena. In fact, she laughed all the time around Jake and Laura but he hadn't actually seen a true smile on her face. It was absolutely beautiful and he wanted to see it all the time. Her sarcasm was a trait he rather enjoyed but to see those ghosts in her eyes disappear for just three seconds, was enough to make his heart skip a beat. _

_"Yeah, they just kind of did it."_

_Smiling, Alex slowly peeled the tape back; not really wanting to ruin the beautiful paper. "It's my favorite color."_

_Derek didn't respond to that. How was he supposed to tell her that he already knew. How he observed her so often that he noticed her green binder and her favorite green t-shirt she wore every Monday with her green converse. Or how he knew her favorite scent was anything mixed with coconut; her body wash, the perfume she always wore. They were both subtle until she walked by. The gentle breeze brought the tropical scents to him every time. _

_Pulling the paper away revealed a book. Slightly shocked that Derek could pick out a book she might enjoy, she turned it over to the front cover. The cardboard sleeves were encased in black thread; a symbol usually reserved for older books. Across the top, silver cursive swayed beautifully against it's black backdrop; Poetry of Edgar Allen Poe. _

_Alex's mouth hung open slightly as she took in the title, "How did you know?"_

_Brushing his hand through his short hair, he tried to not sound disappointed when he responded. Once she had seen the cover, her heart rate had dropped a bit. He wasn't completely positive what that signal meant, "Well, Laura told me you liked poetry so…."_

_Running her hands lovingly over the words, Alex wondered how he knew. How did Derek Hale know she liked Poe when Jake would never be able to figure that out, "Yeah, but how did you know that Poe is my favorite?"_

_Leaning back on both his legs, he thought about playing the nonchalant card; the same card he played with all the other girls at their school. He wasn't necessarily ready to admit that she had managed to completely ensnare him but he didn't need her to think that he felt nothing, "We share the same AP English teacher and your essay interpreting The Raven, was brilliant. She wanted to share it with our class and I saw your name at the top before she covered it up."_

_"Wow….Derek, thank you." She didn't give him enough credit. The fact he was able to connect those two, confused her. She had never encountered a boy in her life that wanted to figure her out. Once they realized she wasn't some standard high school slut, they moved on trying find another girl to trap. They didn't care that she loved poetry. They didn't understand why she loved green so much. But somehow, Derek knew that. _

_Slowly setting the book down on an end table, Alex did something she didn't realize she was actually brave enough to do. She hugged Derek. She stood on her toes, trying to be higher than her normal five foot frame, and wrapped her arms around his neck. _

_Derek didn't mean to stiffen as soon as her arms were around him but it was unexpected. She seemed so unsure of his gift that he almost thought she might run anyway; frightened that he knew details about her she hadn't shared before. But instead, she had raised her tiny body up as high she could to give him a hug. A hug that wasn't just a few simple awkward pats on the back but a full encompassed emotion. _

_She clung to him until he wound his arms around her waist and even then she stayed for another thirty seconds. She longed to stay within the heat that engulfed his entire frame but she eventually, reluctantly let go. _

_Derek felt her slowly release pressure from around his neck. Her short stature began to lower but he kept his arms around her still; his hands slowly following the descent of her body to the floor. He could feel the lean muscles beneath her shirt and he wasn't sure he wanted to let her go. She was small but she seemed to fit against him; his body meant to shield her, protect her. _

_Reluctantly, Derek drew his arms away from her as well, "I'm just going to head home now. I'm glad you're feeling better." _

_She didn't have time to answer before he was out her door again. Concealing the shudder that wanted to run through her body from their brief contact, she picked up her book and went back upstairs. She now had something worth occupying her time._

* * *

_Monday brought a new sense of life to Alex. She hadn't had to endure another headache since Friday. She was actually wearing her sunglasses to school because the sun was shining; not because fluorescents gave her a migraine. And she was driving to school._

_The unfortunate reality that she only held a learner's permit, was overlooked by both her father and herself. She agreed to admit fault if she was caught by the police and he agreed to fake ground her so he didn't look like a horrible parent. The only thing they had to do was make sure her mother didn't find out; she would blow a head gasket. _

_The rumble of the V8 sent shivers through her body. Her heart thundered against her chest. Her palms sweaty against the leather steering wheel. Her pulse skyrocketed and it wasn't because she was afraid of getting caught. That actually added a sense danger to the equation and at 7 am, with Alex on an adrenaline high, life was suddenly looking really good. _

_Classes didn't start for another twenty minutes so the parking lot was considerably packed with students. The wannabe boys with the tuned-up imports, watched as she rolled along the pavement. The evil sneers plastered on their faces, let Alex know two things. _

_One: They had no idea what was under her hood. Any true gear head could hear the amount of horsepower she was pushing in this car. The idea of them finishing a race ahead of her, was a wet dream they would never get to experience._

_Two: Those dumbasses had no idea what was under their own hood. They did dress to the nines in the latest Ecko garb, which just showed that they knew how to spend daddy's money. They probably wouldn't be able to point out where their coolant was stored. _

_Derek always parked in the front of the lot because he enjoyed showing off his baby. For four years, he had glorified in the light that was his worship. Every boy wanted to look like him, walk like him and drive the exact same car like him. Every girl on the other hand, just wanted to be with him at least one time. It could've been sex, a kiss or even a gentle brush of bodies, and they would've died one happy woman. Alex knew he enjoyed the rush, the power such control could bring. _

_Derek, Laura and Jake were already towards the front of the school, lounging against his car. A few cheerleaders occupied the parking space next to him. They flipped their hair over their shoulders so many times, trying to get his attention, Alex was sure some of it might actually fall out._

_Shifting gears, she shot forward faster than she should have for parking but the squeals that erupted from the blondes was enough to make her day. Running as fast as their heels could carry them, the three girls clung to Derek like spider monkeys. They weren't used to be ignored. Their flirtations always got them what they wanted and for some unknown reason, Derek was immune to all of it. _

_Grabbing her bag from the passenger seat, Alex finally stepped out into the light._

_"So that's why you wouldn't ride in my Camaro. You're a Mustang girl." To say that Derek was impressed would be an understatement. He hadn't gone to see her over the weekend but she already looked a hundred times better than before. Her skin had that glow back and she was smiling ear to ear. Well smiling might not have been the right term to use. Unlike the happy smile he had enjoyed and witnessed before, this one was dangerous. That was a look that belonged to a girl that liked power and knew how to use it. It certainly turned him on. _

_Shutting her door, she shouldered her bag and walked up to Derek like a tiger on the prowl. Derek suddenly realized that she wasn't just walking. Seducing him was probably a better way to describe what she was doing. _

_She watched as the girls desperately tried to grab his attention; mumbling something about how scared they were. But Derek was watching every step she took with the stare of a predator. Those blue eyes skimmed over her combat boots, traveled up her jean clad legs, savored her red tank top, lingered on her leather jacket and finally he landed on those dark eyes. She was a girl that could run with the boys. _

_"You see Derek…there are two types of people in this world. The people that drive Camaros and the people that drive Mustangs….that beat the Camaros ass."_

_Alex had gathered a crowd. Once that smartass comment left her mouth, she was greeted with claps along her shoulder and snickers from the back. The students around here didn't seem to hold to loyalty very well. _

_She thought she had seen Derek smirk before but his entire posture was changing as she challenged him. His eyes gleamed dangerously; promising things her body wished he'd promise on. Shoving the females off his arm, he slowly approached her. His body towered over her and he and no problem using that to his advantage. _

_His face stopped just short of brushing hers. His eyes lingering briefly over her cleavage before his long legs carried him around her. He circled her body slowly, his hand dragging along her lower back in the process. His hot breath touched her ear suddenly, "Do you even know what's under your hood?"_

_The crowd suddenly turned and they were on Derek's side once again. The prospect of a challenge hung heavy in the air. _

_Catcalls echoed behind her as Derek continued to circle her. She hadn't missed the double meaning behind his question but he didn't need to know what was going on under her clothes. She should've felt on display, perhaps victimized, but this new Derek was thrilling her to no end. He was answering her challenge with an equal vigor. His body heat jumped ten degrees just by watching her body language. _

_"Every good driver knows what's in their car." _

_The bell for class could've rung but the tension in the air blocked out every dimension. Their bodies continued to crowd the pavement as Derek stared her down. He was definitely sizing her up and not just for the display she was showing now. Over the past month, she had avoided showing any sign of her attraction towards him. At that moment, she was showing him exactly who she was._

_She was the sweet girl that let Jake rant on and on about lacrosse. She was the warrior who's loyalty ran so deep, she would set her life down on line. She was the clumsy ass that managed to burn herself every time she entered a kitchen. She was the beautiful girl that loved to wear wolverine boxers to bed. She was the intelligent girl that challenged his brain every single day. And she was the badass that loved the rush of a V8 between her legs. _

_She stared at Derek with every bit of passion she felt when she was around him and she knew he could see it. His eyes went from a burning fire to an uncontrollable furnace. She could see his fists clenching within his jacket sleeves. To everyone around them, he was a male being showed up by a girl. But Alex knew what he truly wanted. He wanted her. He wanted her to stop playing around, to break down walls so he could actually find her inside. Derek was willing to see the real Alex._

_"What's under my hood?" _

_Alex blinked a few times so she could absorb what Derek just asked. He was turning into a cocky bastard that wanted to play. This was his gambit and she was about to put him into checkmate._

_"Fine," shrugging her shoulders, she started to approach his car when his hand upon her stomach stopped her. _

_His heated palm scorched through her tank top and she was suddenly having a hard time thinking again. Turning his head, he smiled at her, "Without looking."_

_Her teeth ground against each other as the crowd erupted once again. They were enjoying every aspect of her humiliation, "Fine." _

_She wouldn't go down without a fight. _

_Pushing Derek's hand from her body, she walked towards the front of his car. But instead of defying his command, she turned and plopped down right on the hood of his car. She could only try to add some fire to his blood._

_"To all those who don't know. Derek drives a 1967 Chevy Camaro. It's definitely a classic and a beauty amongst its fans," the crowd sneered even further as Derek crossed his arms, "but it's predictable."_

_That grabbed their attention, "It's got a four speed manual transmission," she slowly ran her finger down the hood; Derek's eyes burning into her , "no overdrive."_

_"Everyone knows that!" Alex could tell that was an import boy._

_"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" Her outburst encouraged the mob and they laughed in his face._

_"As I was saying," hopping off the hood, Alex began to circle like a vulture. Her eyes traveling every dip and curve the body had, "Its stock engine isn't very impressive and we all know how much Derek enjoys power."_

_Some of the boys had gathered around Derek; prompting an emergency entourage. They clapped his shoulder as they acknowledged his need for control._

_"So you probably changed out the engine. Most likely you popped in a 350 block. It certainly raises you up to nearly 300 horsepower," Alex glared directly back at Derek, "but that's still not enough to beat my Mustang." _

_"What?!" That outburst was definitely from Jake. Laura and him stood like statues by the Camaro. They were both very confused by the display their two friends were exhibited. Never had he seen Derek concentrate so much on a girl like he did her. Every step Alex made, he watched with an excited energy._

_Smirking back at Jake, Alex tossed in her last stone, "I'm sure you added some extra parts like a cool air intake. Maybe you even tossed a chip into the engine…but that'll still only bring you up to maybe 400 horsepower."_

_Brushing past Derek's body, Alex bent down to retrieve her backpack. The entire student body was still watching her, waiting for the final blow as she walked up the stairs towards the school. _

_Turning around, she finally gave Derek one of her true smiles, "And my baby's pushing over 550."_

_The bell for school finally rang. _

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**That was definitely a long chapter and I hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you thought about the Derek and Alex interaction. I wanted you guys to see a couple different sides of them.**

**Please Read and Review!**


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